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Avalanche star Cale Makar signs largest contract in NHL history

On Friday, the Colorado Avalanche signed Cale Makar to an NHL-record $163.2 million, eight-year contract extension. The deal carries a $20.4 million salary cap hit, beginning in the 2027-28 season and running through 2035.
Makar, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, is entering the final season of his current six-year, $54 million pact. The defenseman won the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy in 2022, establishing himself as a premier talent.
Setting a league benchmark, Makar becomes the first NHL player to earn over $20 million per season. The deal sits $400,000 shy of the maximum allowed under the current CBA, which limits future contracts to seven years starting Sept. 16.
Recent market shifts saw young forwards Leo Carlsson and Macklin Celebrini sign high-value deals last month, but Makar's cap hit surpasses those marks. Minnesota's Quinn Hughes remains eligible for an extension but has not yet agreed to a new contract.
Joining an elite circle of all-time greats including Bobby Orr and Ray Bourque, Makar has established himself as a premier defender with multiple Norris Trophy wins. One more would make him the 10th player in league history to claim three.

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See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source The floodgates have truly opened for NHL stars signing contracts in this free-flowing salary cap world. And Cale Makar’s pool is now coloured a very deep green. The Colorado Avalanche defenceman is the newest title holder as highest paid in the league, an eight-year extension […]

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Makar makes history: Avs sign defenceman to NHL's largest-ever contract

Cale Makar and the Colorado Avalanche agreed to an eight-year contract extension worth $163.2 million US on Friday that will make him the highest paid player in league history.

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Cale Makar signs richest deal in NHL history with $163.2 million Avalanche contract extension

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